 Prophet
and founder of Islam
- Muhammad was an
outstanding political and military leader, but more importantly he was
the founder of the Muslim religion or Islam. Trained to be a desert
tradesman, at age 25 he married a wealthy widow, Khadija, and spent
the next few years managing her caravan business.
On his journeys Muhammad would contemplate religious questions and Muslims
believe that during meditation an angel instructed him to go to Mecca
and preach. (Acknowleding its debt to Biblical prophets, such as Moses
and Jesus, Islam believes that Muhammad was the last true prophet and
that their sacred text, the Koran,
contains the final word of God.) After years of preaching, the leaders
of Mecca drove him out and he moved to Medina. The two cities battled
for nearly five years. Meanwhile Muhammad consolidated his role as religious,
political, and military leader of Medina.
After the defeat of Mecca, he asserted Islamic rule over the whole of
Arabia.
Following his death Islam swept across North Africa to India, becoming
one of the world's most widespread religions.
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